My Only Exception

Chapter One

If only I could believe you, Ry.

"Lincoln, come down here please!" My father's deep voice bellowed up the steps and through my door, ineffectively doing its job of shutting out the rest of the world. I heaved out an annoyed sigh, forcing my legs to turn toward the closet.
I eyed my doors cautiously, trying to navigate the easiest way in; One careful enough not to rip down the white sheet that covered the mirror doors.

I slid the door open slowly, almost entirely too slow. Once successful, I made a noise in the back of my throat, pulling a sweatshirt out of the clothing pile I managed to create in 10 minutes of being here. 

Slipping it over my head, I shoved my legs into a pair of sweats and my feet into my uggs on the way out. My heavy feet padded my way down the long spiral staircase of my Great Grandfather John's Mansion- that I once again would be calling home.

Once I reached the bottom, I felt my cracked lips, tug across my mouth to morph into an actual smile in what felt like forever. "Nan!" I called as I ran over to the awaiting pair of arms, she scooped me up and her so familiar perfume took me to a comfort, we all knew existed within our grandparents.

"You look so beautiful!" My brain immediately protested the compliment as Nan held me at arms length to look over my appearance. Her fingers delicately brushed back my overgrowing hair, which now quite frankly represented a mullet more than it didn't.

We all knew she was just being nice.

I looked as if I had awakened from the dead. My lips were chapped and raw, from the constant gnawing. My face was pale with dark circles that complimented my sunken eyes.

I wasn't able to reply before a new pair of arms were wrapped around me. "Grandpa Tim." I folded my body into his tall figure, soon pulling back watching as he grinned happily down at me. "Look how much you've grown!" He exclaimed as he looked over me and I only let a light breath of a laugh flow out my lips.

He tucked me securely under his arm as we both faced my parents. I watched the exchange of my mom with her mother in-law and saw the love that shone brightly. Taking in my mother, I wished I had half as much of her beauty.

Both my parents, were very good looking for their age. My mom's dirty blonde hair was cut into a long bob, her face void of any wrinkles except the ones by her mouth from the many years of happiness. She had a small crease between her eyebrows, from the many years of stress work had caused her. As Nan and her conversed, mom's hazel eyes shone bright with happiness as I watched intently at the conversation, I didn't bother listening to.

She owned many designer companies all over the world, becoming successful at just twenty-one years old. I had heard the stories of my parents millions of times growing up and I never got tired of them. My parents were always happy, they rarely fought and when they did they usually made up within that night.

Never going to bed angry.

My gaze shifted to the broad appearance of my father, his hair was greying from the many long nights he worked, trying to run both Energy Plants. One here, in Connecticut and the other back home in South Carolina.

Dad's eyes were something I wished I was lucky enough to inherit. Ryan, was the only one lucky enough to get the green and blue eyes. I was stuck with both, bright green and blue flooded my iris's with a tinge of brown flecks thanks to mom.